Early last year, our staff and directors gathered to consider Kankakee Valley REMC’s future. We developed a three-year strategic plan to help us prepare for the needs of both our membership and our co-op. This is the first in a series of three columns in which I will share insight into our plans.

As you would expect, much of our discussion during the planning session centered around tomorrow’s challenges. Energy technology is changing at an ever-increasing rate, as are our member-consumers’ lives and workplaces. If we are going to continue to serve those needs, we must be prepared. That means embracing new systems and services, and it means taking steps to keep our co-op financially healthy in uncertain times.

On the technology side, we expect a growing demand for broadband internet and electric vehicles, so the staff has been charged with developing plans for both. 

This past year, many families were forced to do more online than ever before. Having insufficient internet access became a daily struggle for parents and students. Over the past year, your cooperative leaders have been talking, both internally and with community leaders, about the needs in our service territory. We want to be part of the solution, but as a cooperative owned by our membership, we must make smart financial decisions. When it came to broadband, we decided to first design and install a fiber loop connecting our office and substations.

Providing the loop infrastructure allows your cooperative to create organizational efficiencies. This was our first step in preparing for the adoption of fiber technology. We will vigilantly identify ways to support further broadband development in our communities. We expect our fiber loop construction will begin in early spring.   

Interest in electric vehicles is gaining momentum. We purchased an electric vehicle two years ago that allowed us to engage in the technology and be a resource for you. Now that we have some background and experience in the EV arena, we are exploring ways to offer an electric vehicle program to our members in the near future.  While a time–of–use rate is already available, we hope to create a program to support the expansion and encouragement of infrastructure development too.

We are committed to being fiscally responsible to our membership. As part of our strategic discussion, we plan to develop a long-term financial forecast to help us improve our planning. That also has us taking a closer look at our policies related to finances and capital credits, as well as how we manage equity and capital. There is much to do, but it is all about serving you even better.

At Kankakee Valley REMC, we are not only listening, but are eager to hear from you. If you have questions, please reach out to us. I look forward to telling you more about the strategic plans for your co-op in next month’s magazine.